California patient tests negative for Ebola virus

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The Ebola virus.

Story highlights

Tests confirm a patient isolated in a Sacramento hospital is not infected with Ebola

The patient, who has not been identified, had recently traveled to West Africa

Health authorities said the testing was done out of an abundance of caution

Two Americans infected while working with Ebola patients in Liberia have recovered

A patient isolated in a California hospital after possible Ebola exposure does not have the virus, testing revealed.

The unidentified patient, who had recently traveled to West Africa, was isolated at the Kaiser Permanente South Sacramento Medical Center during the testing.

"We're happy to report that we've heard from the Centers for Disease Control that the test result is negative," Dr. Ron Chapman of the California Department of Public Health told reporters Thursday night.

The patient was considered "low-risk," and tests were being conducted out of "an abundance of caution," the public health department said.

The CDC tested the patient's blood samples to determine whether the Ebola virus was present. The hospital said all necessary precautions were being taken to safeguard other patients and staff while the testing was carried out.

There are no confirmed cases of Ebola in the state, the agency said in a statement Wednesday.

'Miraculous day'

On Thursday, Dr. Kent Brantly became the second of two American missionaries infected with the virus when working with Ebola patients in Liberia to be discharged from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

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Early symptoms include sudden onset of fever, weakness, muscle pain, headaches and a sore throat. They later progress to vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function -- and sometimes internal and external bleeding.

The virus spreads through contact with organs and bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, urine and other secretions of infected people.

Earlier this month, a patient with a high fever and gastrointestinal symptoms was admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City for Ebola testing, but tested negative.

He had recently traveled to a country in West Africa where Ebola has been reported, the hospital said in a statement.

More than 1,350 people have died in the West African Ebola outbreak since the first cases drew attention in March, the WHO said Wednesday. Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea have been at the center of the outbreak, with a dozen cases also confirmed in Nigeria.